Ory Hydra vs Ory Keto
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted identity & sso options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Ory Hydra
Certified OAuth 2.0 and OpenID Connect server
VS
Ory Keto
Permission and authorization server based on Zanzibar
| Feature | Ory Hydra | Ory Keto |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Identity & SSO | Identity & SSO |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Go | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes, binary | docker, kubernetes, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 17,462 | ★ 5,383 |
| First released | 2015 | 2018 |
| Replaces | Okta, Auth0 | Auth0 FGA, OpenFGA |
Why pick each one
Choose Ory Keto if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Kubernetes-ready with Helm charts available
- Mature project with 5.4k GitHub stars
Frequently asked questions
Is Ory Hydra or Ory Keto better?
Neither is universally better. Ory Hydra has the larger community, while Ory Keto is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Ory Hydra and Ory Keto free and open-source?
Yes. Ory Hydra is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Ory Keto under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Ory Hydra and Ory Keto with Docker?
Ory Hydra: yes. Ory Keto: yes.